Last Breath
by grkgrl88
Summary: A oneshot fic. AU and a character death. Clark and Chloe weren't careful enough to cover their tracks...


AU/song fic. Lyrics are from "My Last Breath" by Evanescence 

Rated: PG-13 for violence

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters—they belong to DC Comics, the WB, and the CW. I'm not making any profit from this.

Author's Note: This is a death fic. (You've been warned.) I've always pictured this character's death in this way.

Clark knew this was his fault. He had found out about Lex's plans for his Metropolis plant. He heard the rumors about the experiments Lex wanted to do, and he persuaded Chloe to help him investigate. Of course, that wasn't very difficult. Chloe was the most curious person he knew, and she was always on the lookout for a good story. But they were in over their heads, and Clark was too stubborn to see it. Now, Chloe was in trouble, and it was all his fault.

Chloe worked full-time at the Daily Planet, so they had access to more databases, more sources to figure out exactly what Lex was up to. Over the years, Lex had become increasingly ruthless, colder. He didn't care if he hurt people anymore, like he once did. He didn't care about his employees or their welfare. He wasn't the same man who moved to Smallville and saw a second chance. Lex now saw knowledge, money, and power, and did whatever he could to gain more. Clark and Chloe had been careful in their research, careful to cover their tracks. But not careful enough. Lex found out what they were up to and took action. He threatened to close the Planet for Chloe's investigation, so the Planet fired Chloe. She was barely there a year, so they didn't think they were losing much. Chloe was their best new reporter, but lots of people in Metropolis feared Lex Luthor (and rightly so), so Chloe lost her job.

The Planet gave Chloe a couple days to pack up her things, but she disappeared three nights ago. On the one night Clark didn't walk her to her apartment. The one night she insisted she'd be all right.

"Come on, Clark, it's only three blocks away." She giggled and shooed him away. "Go home. I'm a big girl; I'll be fine." She waved goodbye to Clark and turned, walking down the sidewalk. Her short, blonde hair bobbed up and down, wisped and curled in the light breeze.

"Are you sure?" Clark asked, glancing down the street. "Really, Chlo', I don't mind."

Chloe turned around and shook her head again defiantly. "I'll be fine. See you tomorrow." And with that, she turned and continued down the street, alone into the night.

Clark watched her as she walked away. Her hair glowed in the moonlight and her shadow slid across the street with each step. He glanced down the street and took a deep breath. "I'm sure she'll be fine," he said to himself and ran back to Smallville. Clark glanced at his watch as he slowed down by his house. He had a weird feeling and wanted to call Chloe, to check on her. "Nah." Clark shook his head. "I worry too much." He walked into his house and up to bed, hoping Chloe went home safely.

It wasn't until the next day that Clark knew she didn't.

Clark walked into the Daily Planet's lobby at noon, as he did most days to meet Chloe for lunch. He walked to the front desk. "Hey, Terry," he said, smiling at the girl behind the desk.

Terry's wavy brunette hair lifted off her shoulders as she looked up. "Oh, hey, Clark." She smiled at him. "What can I do for you?"

Clark took a breath. "I've been trying to call Chloe on her cell, but she's not picking up. Do you know if she came in today?"

Terry thought for a moment. "You know what? I don't remember seeing her walk in." She swiveled her chair to her computer. Her tight-fitting clothes—a sky blue top and short khaki skirt—barely moved as she wheeled in front of her monitor. Her slender wrist, decorated with a delicate silver bracelet, grasped the mouse. "Let me check the time cards…"

Clark leaned his elbows on the desk, waiting for her response. Terry typed quickly on the keyboard and then scrolled down the screen with the mouse. She scanned the computer screen and then looked up at Clark. "Looks like she never clocked in." She shrugged her shoulders.

Clark diverted his eyes from the desktop in thought.

"Hey, Clark, is everything okay?" She slid back over to Clark and tilted her head to make eye contact with him.

Clark looked at her and stood up straight. He gave her a small smile. "I hope so." He nodded. "Thanks for checking."

"You're welcome," she said and shot him another smile.

Clark said goodbye, turned, and glanced quickly across the lobby, before he walked out to the sidewalk.

He flipped open his cell phone and tried calling Chloe one more time. He listened as the other end rang once. "C'mon, Chloe." A second ring. "Pick up…" he said to himself.

Her voicemail came on after a few more rings. "Hey, this is Chloe. Can't come to the phone, so please leave a message."

Clark sighed. "Hey, Chloe. It's Clark…again. Just wondering where you are, and I hope you're okay. Call me back when you get this, okay?" Clark took a breath as he closed his phone. Chloe always had her phone, so there was no reason for her not to call back. Unless she was in a position where she couldn't.

Clark shook his head and looked up and down the street. "Where are you?" he said to himself. He startled as his cell phone rang. "Chloe?" he said as he raised the phone to his ear. "Hello?" Clark heard a click and then an unfamiliar voice.

"Search every building and you won't find her."

"Who is this?" Clark demanded. Clark turned to look down the sidewalk. "Who are you?" The voice was strange and inhuman—almost robotic. It was monotone but paused in between select words for emphasis. You. Won't. Find her.

The caller didn't respond and then the line went dead. Clark tried to redial the number but it was no use. He lifted his head. This call confirmed what he feared. Chloe was missing and whoever—or whatever—he just spoke to knew where she was.

That was three days ago and since then, Clark spent every moment searching for Chloe. He hadn't even slept but stayed awake flying and superspeeding all over Metropolis looking for anything unusual. Losing one night's sleep wasn't a big deal for him. Clark had always been able to go on less sleep than ordinary people needed, but this was different. He had never needed to expend so much energy _and_ go without rest for so long. He could tell it was finally taking a toll on him. He was awake, but he felt weaker than usual. His speed wasn't at its highest and he couldn't focus his X-ray vision as well. Clark had promised himself, though, that he wouldn't stop until Chloe was safe again, and so he kept going. He was going to find Chloe.

_Hold on to me love  
you know I can't stay long  
all I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid_

Chloe shook her head as she woke up. She was sitting in a chair, tied to it, in a dark room. _Okay, Chlo', don't freak out. Try to remember what happened…_Chloe thought to herself as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She ignored the pain on the side of her head and thought back to a few nights ago, rewinding time in her mind to figure out how she ended up in this room. She walked home from the Planet. Alone. That's right, she told Clark she'd be fine. Insisted he let her go. _Big mistake there, Sullivan_.

Chloe had walked down the sidewalk alone and turned the corner. Suddenly, two large men jumped out from an alley. Chloe hit them with her purse and yelled, "Get away!" She turned and ran away, but they caught up to her. Each one grabbed one of her arms and picked her up off the ground. Chloe yelled louder. "Help! Somebody, help!" She kicked her legs furiously, trying to hit the men. She kicked one of the men in his thigh, but he barely flinched. They pulled her to a street corner where a black van drove up. The side door opened, and the men tossed Chloe into the van. A third man grabbed her arms and quickly tied her hands behind her back. Then he blindfolded her.

Chloe tried to think of what else she remembered. She was almost sure she was blindfolded until she just woke up, so she could have only remembered sounds—if she were even conscious. Chloe couldn't see anything now anyway, but she concentrated on what she could hear. A few men were talking in another room, maybe next door or across the hall. Chloe could make out a low, gruff voice and another one, acidic and firm. Chloe couldn't make out their conversation, but the second voice sounded angry. As his voice grew louder, Chloe gulped. It was undeniably Lex Luthor. Only one man spoke that harshly, and of course he was involved in this; probably planned the entire thing himself. She and Clark were about to expose his plant's illegal and unethical research. They knew Lex wanted to stop them.

She looked to either side of her, but as far as she could tell, she was in an empty room. Chloe thrust her weight forward in an effort to move the chair, but it didn't budge. She regretted the move, too, as a streak of pain flashed across her skull. _Damn it!_, she thought. She was stuck. The only thing she could do was yell, so she did. "Hey! Is anyone out there? Can you hear me?" Chloe stopped yelling when she noticed the voices fell silent. They knew she woke up. "Hey! Where am I?" Chloe yelled, but no one answered. No one came through the door.

_Can you hear me?  
Can you feel me in your arms?_

Clark soared above the Metropolis skyscrapers. He had circled the city a few times already and X-rayed every building, looking for something—anything— out of place.

Clark thought back to that morning, to the second strange phone call he received. The same monotone, robotic voice.

"Maybe you should try looking where it all began."

Clark had demanded to know who was speaking, but the line dropped dead, just as the first time. '_Where it all began,' _Clark thought. _What's that supposed to mean?_ He had no idea who the caller was, so he had no idea where to search, no way to apply the cryptic message. So Clark had checked several places. Assuming 'where it all began,' referred to the research he and Chloe dug up, Clark checked the Planet and Metropolis's LuthorCorp plant, every floor and sub-level, but he found nothing.

He searched the entire city again, but it was no use. Clark zoomed up higher in to the sky and finally stopped when he was only a speck to people looking up from the streets. He bent his knees and turned in the air, adjusting himself into an upright position. Clark paused and sighed as he watched the sun drop below the horizon. Another day had passed and he hadn't found Chloe. Clark pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, wishing his headache would cease. He had concentrated on his hearing all day, listened for the slightest hint of where Chloe was. Maybe she was awake and maybe she was calling for help. Maybe her kidnappers would talk about her, and he could gain some information. Clark had been listening all day, absorbed so much sound, and all the noise was irritating him, tiring him.

Lex had to be responsible for Chloe's disappearance. No one else could have kidnapped her and covered it up so well. Clark suddenly snapped his head up. _Where it all began. _If it were that simple, the phrase suddenly made sense to him. Clark swung his arm around, stretched his body, and flew toward Smallville.

_Holding my last breath  
safe inside myself  
are all my thoughts of you  
sweet raptured light  
it ends here tonight_

Chloe opened her eyes and looked around at her surroundings. She took a deep breath as she sat up. Chloe blinked, confused by what she saw. Trees. All she saw were trees and dirt and more trees. Chloe looked up at her hands, tied together at the wrists and suspended from a high branch of the tree directly in front of her. Her ankles were tied together too, and her legs were straight out in front of her, with the ropes tangling around the tree. The only movement she could manage was to pull herself up to a standing position. Her head hurt even more, as if she had hit it somewhere. _Or more likely, someone hit me, _she thought Chloe's left side hurt too, and looking down, she could see some blood staining her shirt, but she had no way of checking the wound. As Chloe's mind cleared, she realized she was in a lot of pain. More than the ropes, her head, and whatever side wound she had, her whole body ached, and she wasn't exactly sure how she got there.

Chloe concentrated. The last thing she remembered was the dark room and yelling for someone to hear. _Then what happened?_ Chloe asked herself. A large man. Someone had walked into the room, silhouetted by the light spilling in from the hallway. Chloe didn't recognize him, but that didn't matter when she suddenly gasped in fear. She saw the glint of a needle before she felt the syringe plunge into her arm. Then her body felt heavy and she slumped into the chair. She slept and some time later, must have lost consciousness. Chloe moved her head back and forth and instantly regretted it as a pulsing pain coursed through her skull again. "Great," Chloe said to herself. Maybe she was in Metropolis and maybe not. No food and she couldn't move. "Clark's out there," Chloe said to reassure herself. Chloe looked through the trees up at the sky and noticed the sunlight dimming. "Probably looking for me all over the place. He'll find me somehow." Chloe tugged at her bound wrists, but the ropes didn't loosen. They just cut into her skin and she grimaced. Night was coming soon, and she prayed predatory animals didn't inhabit her patch of woods.

_I'll miss the winter  
a world of fragile things  
look for me in the white forest  
hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)_

Clark stopped running when he got to Loeb Bridge. He took a few long strides and walked to the side of the bridge. The rail was repaired now, but he remembered the accident as if it happened last week. So many years later, and here he was again. _Where it all began_. If Clark was at the right place, then this had to be Lex's work. _Where it all began_. Loeb bridge. A speeding sports car. A distracted millionaire driver. One super-powered teenager looking out over the bridge, lost in thought. Clark leaned on the rail and thought back to that day. The day he saved Lex's life for the first time. Would he have saved Lex then if he knew what Lex would become, all the pain he would cause? If Lex would have died that day, a lot of people would breathe easier today. Clark saving Lex may have actually hurt people…Clark shook his head and stared out over the ravine and the small area of woods below the bridge. He had to find Chloe. It wasn't the time to think of the past. He switched into X-ray mode and scanned the area. If this was the right place, Chloe was here somewhere.

Clark's jaw dropped as he saw a body toward the middle of the forest. He focused his eyes as best as he could, straining against the exhaustion in his body, until he saw it was Chloe. Clark barely whispered, "Oh, God," to himself before he ran at his full speed to Chloe.

_I know you hear me  
I can taste it in your tears_

Clark slowed as he approached Chloe. She was sitting on the ground, leaning against the tree with her eyes closed. Clark followed the ropes at her wrists with his eyes and glanced up to the branch suspending them. "Chloe?" Clark spoke softly but Chloe didn't respond. He bent at her side, worry and fear overcoming his face. "Chloe?" he said again. He leaned close to her and could hear her breathing, so he knew she was still alive. Clark grimaced and X-rayed her body, checking for injuries. He gasped as he saw bruised ribs, the side wound, and…internal bleeding. Clark spoke louder now, checking Chloe's pulse on her neck. "Chloe, wake up. Come on, please." Clark blinked his eyes and looked over her body again. Blood stained her shirt in spots. Her wrists were red and bleeding, probably from struggling against the ropes. Clark focused his heat vision above him and burned through the ropes. He gently caught Chloe's hands as the rope cut free. He watched Chloe's face for any change as he untied her hands.

Clark sighed and gently moved the hair matted across Chloe's face. "Come on, Chlo', wake up." He gently stroked her cheek, hoping she would come to. Clark glanced along her body again. He didn't want to move her and risk more damage, and he didn't know how to deal with such serious injuries.

_Holding my last breath  
safe inside myself  
are all my thoughts of you  
sweet raptured light it ends here tonight_

Chloe heard Clark as he approached her. She knew he checked her wounds and untied her wrists. Chloe wanted to respond, to let Clark know somehow that she knew he was there, but she couldn't say anything. She had lost too much blood, and she was too weak to move. Chloe managed a small smile as Clark brushed her hair out her face, but he must not have seen it.

Clark had found her, and Chloe wanted to talk to him, to tell him what happened. Chloe took a deep breath and slowly blinked her eyes. She saw Clark's head above her, fuzzy and blurry, but it slowly came into focus. She smiled, but Clark still looked worried.

"Chloe." Clark leaned back on his heels and looked into her eyes. "I am so sorry this happened to you." He glanced behind him in the forest and then back at Chloe.

Chloe nodded. "It's okay," she said softly. Chloe put her hands at her side on the ground and tried to prop herself up on the tree, but jolts of pain sprang up her arms, and she jerked forward. "Ah!"

Clark leaned toward her with his hands out, steadying her. "You probably shouldn't move too much, Chlo'. You're hurt. Badly."

Chloe nodded and took a deep breath. She simply leaned her head back against the rough tree bark.

Clark took his jacket off and draped it across her. Then he pulled out his cell phone out of his pocket and called 911. "I'm calling an ambulance," he said to Chloe. "Just stay with me."

Chloe watched Clark as he spoke to the operator. He had genuine worry on his face and she could tell he was afraid, even though he didn't say anything. Now that she was awake, she was aware of her pain, and there was a lot of it. Chloe's eyes watered as fiery sparks pinched across her stomach. Something was seriously wrong, and she could only pray the ambulance reached her in time.

_Closing your eyes to disappear  
you pray your dreams will leave you here  
but still you wake and know the truth  
no one's there_

Clark noticed Chloe's eyes were closed after he hung up with the operator. He moved a little closer to Chloe. "Hey, they're on their way. You just have to hold in there, okay Chlo'?"

Chloe nodded. "I'm trying, but I hurt all over, Clark."

Clark looked down at the ground. "Yeah, whoever did this to you was pretty harsh." When Chloe didn't respond, Clark touched her shoulder. "Hey, Chloe."

"I'm here, Clark."

He sighed. "How about you talk to me? Maybe it'll take your mind off the pain until the medics get here."

"Okay," Chloe said, still not opening her eyes or moving from the tree. She coughed to clear her throat. "I guess I should tell you what I know about what happened to me. Just in case I don't…" A tear escaped Chloe's eye.

"Hey, don't talk like that, Chloe." If her eyes were open, Chloe would have seen Clark's eyes watering too. He could control his voice most of the time, but his eyes always showed his true emotions.

Chloe ignored Clark's comment and moved on to her story. She spoke slowly and deliberately. "That night I said I'd be okay to go home alone, some thugs took me. They grabbed me and shoved me in the back of a van." Chloe took a deep breath. "The next thing I knew, I was tied to a chair in the middle of a dark room, and I could hear voices across the hall. One of them was definitely Lex."

Clark took a breath in. "You're sure it was Lex?"

Chloe nodded.

"But you don't know where that was."

"No," Chloe replied and then continued. "They injected me with something, and then I woke up here, tied to a tree with new wounds I wasn't awake for." Chloe moved a hand over her side. She nudged Clark's jacket away and looked down at where her hand caught on her shirt. She lifted her shirt up slightly to reveal a deep gash. "Oh…" Chloe managed to say. She let go of her shirt and pulled her hand away, sticky blood tinting her skin. "That's not a good sign…" Chloe's body swayed and she fell to her side, gasping as she hit the ground.

Clark started and sprang forward. "Chloe? Chloe!"

Sirens blared nearby, across the fateful bridge.

_Say goodnight  
don't be afraid  
calling me, calling me as you fade to black_

Clark bent over Chloe, checking her pulse and her breathing again. Both were there, but weak.

"Chloe?" Clark's voice cracked, full of fear. _I can't lose you. Not after all this._ He brushed his fingers across her cheek. "The ambulance is here; just hold on."

Chloe's eyes fluttered, but she couldn't focus on Clark this time. "I'm sorry." Chloe's voice was barely a whisper.

And now tears fell from Clark's eyes. "No, you have nothing to be sorry about." He sniffled. "Please, Chloe. Don't leave me." He gently rubbed her shoulder, hoping his contact would keep her awake.

Chloe managed to keep her eyes open briefly, but they were sad, scared, and dimming. "Goodbye, Clark." Chloe's eyes closed, and in the same instant, she stopped breathing.

Clark's breath caught in his throat. He shook his head back and forth. "No, no, no..." He touched Chloe's shoulder again but felt no movement in her entire body. Clark froze there, staring down at his best friend through blurring eyes, streams of tears drowing blue irises and threatening to fall.

_Holding my last breath  
safe inside myself  
are all my thoughts of you  
sweet raptured light it ends here tonight_

Clark heard the paramedics rushing towards them, shouting instructions to each other. In another minute, they were at his side, laying the stretcher a few feet away. One of them rushed over and knelt beside Clark. He placed his hand on Clark's shoulder for a moment as he looked over Chloe's body. He checked for Chloe's pulse, but Clark knew she was gone. He stood up and took a few paces backward, the image of Chloe's body permanently fixated in his mind. They were too late. He was too late to save her.


End file.
